Given that the ending of the previous film basically abandoned the entire point of the source material, how can a continuation happen?

Here you go, Hollywood off top of my head, as per usual when I do this type of thing...

INVISITEXTED FOR REASONS OF PRETENTIOUSNESS:

Continue from where the last movie left off. With the apparent decision to sacrifice himself carried out, Smith's character is somehow alone again with his dog. Cue 'Am I dead? Is this my Heaven? Was this always my Heaven? Was all the stuff that was happening Hell knocking on my Heaven's door?' type musings. Re-establish the 'alone in the world' scenario. Explore this empty world, but with a feeling of newfound freedom, not an already despondent loneliness.

End a first act establishing the potential release of having no restrictions or responsibilities...yay, all great. All gravy...And then...

Movement in the corner of the eye...nothing to see...build that motif. Change of Tone to I am scared, I must get home.

Eventually, everywhere he is not looking, movement is being perceived, always gone when her turns to look directly at it. Then a figure is perceivable in the distance...wow hope, someone else. Go to them. Before reaching them, they run. Repeat and build motif 'Why are they running from me'.

Gradually more and more figures are perceived and seen directly. In numbers, they do not run. In groups, they rush him. He runs. Whenever he escapes, he encounters a lone figure who runs from him. Why are they running/why are they after me/please just let me get home confusion.

But he doesn't make it home. Eventually everywhere he goes, there are figures just beyond his perception, phasing in an out, never fully resolving, and either running from him, or after him, (in groups).

He theorises to his dog, then after losing his dog, to himself, that it seems he is the only proper human being left alive, but there must be some, there must be some, there were some, he spoke to them didn;t he? he let them into his home, didn't he? If only he can get home, back to his equipment, is research, he can start to puzzle things out.

But he never makes it home. The gradual resolution of figures all around him into humanoid forms, then vicious looking humanoid forms, continues, until they have finally resolved into normal, real, modern day people, who are either running from him, or mob handed, after him. He is cornered, and it seems the mob will wipe him out. Police arrive to scatter crowd, and seem to be rescuing him but he is very roughly handled as he is arrested, and the words of the cops ring in his ears...how the hell did you keep getting away from us for so long/you've really made a name for yourself, haven't you, you crazy fucking son of a bitch/You turned into some kind of fucking urban myth man, you were like a fucking legend."

Thus, you have a semi-prequel for the original situation, with a sequel that seems to be reasserting the situation of the first film, with the close as possible drive to the conclusion of the original story, of the lead character being the 'monster'. Write it as a tragedy, play it as a horror, don;t compromise on the ending, and allow Will Smith to exhibit Laura Dern in Inland Empire levels of feeling dislocated from reality, really push what he is willing to do in terms of not being in control of a filmic scenario. And, without relying on gore (apart from perhaps a few killings as Smith apparently acts in self defence to escape mobs), create a truly terrifying spectacle of a man who believes it is his destiny to cure the world being revealed to be the one with the sickness, or ego, insanity, paranoia. Something that he started to wake up from in the first film and this time does wake up from...Mood by end of film having gone from initial euphoric scenes to utter tragic disbelief from main character, but though desperately gruelling, it's technically a happy ending, if his new awareness remains and he no longer believes himself to be alone in the world.

As a huge fan of the novel, the only way I could be persuaded this was a good idea is if they went for a straight readaptaion with new cast, directors, etc. Then maybe Will Smith could get out that memory-vaporiser doo-whicky he runs about with in the MIB films, and erase the sorry affair that was his take on 'Legend from my memory for once and for all..

Surprised at the all the negativity about I Am Legend. I thought it was a good film (yes, I have read the book too) and it made over half a billion dollars worldwide, hence the sequel. It will probably be a prequel that fills in the gap between the first appearance of the virus up to Will Smith being the last man alive for ao long (or so he thinks). I agree about the CGI not being so great, actors would be better next time.

I think it might be cool to explore a sequel that ties in with some kind of documentation (journal, notes, or even the video documenting he did for experiments) then we could see the journey continue towards it's end (and get closer to some of the characters in this Post Will Smith time) while still being able to keep several flashback tie ins to show things that could be considered a prequel. Maybe having the other characters find and explore his footage while striving for their own salvation?

I think it might be cool to explore a sequel that ties in with some kind of documentation (journal, notes, or even the video documenting he did for experiments) then we could see the journey continue towards it's end (and get closer to some of the characters in this Post Will Smith time) while still being able to keep several flashback tie ins to show things that could be considered a prequel. Maybe having the other characters find and explore his footage while striving for their own salvation?

I think it might be cool to explore a sequel that ties in with some kind of documentation (journal, notes, or even the video documenting he did for experiments) then we could see the journey continue towards it's end (and get closer to some of the characters in this Post Will Smith time) while still being able to keep several flashback tie ins to show things that could be considered a prequel. Maybe having the other characters find and explore his footage while striving for their own salvation?